Page 23 - tech fest 2025 ב״ש חוברת תקצירים

Identification of Heavy Metal Contaminants in Water Samples Using Electrochemical Sensing
ChE-E-02
Hen Sagaoker Satamker; hheenn2468102030@gmail.com
Advisors: Prof. Ariela Burg1, Ms. Ron Peretz1 1SCE - Shamoon College of Engineering, Be'er Sheva
High concentrations of heavy metal ions in drinking water pose health risks, necessitating quality testing. ‘Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry’ (ICP-MS) is a common and highly sensitive detecting instrument, but it is not portable. This study develops an electrochemical sensor using dip- pen nanolithography (DPN) technology for heavy metal detection in drinking water from “Mekorot Water Company.” The unique feature of DPN is its ability to pattern ink as nanoclusters with a large surface-area-to-volume ratio, which increases sensor sensitivity. In this study, D-penicillamine-based ink was used for nanocluster patterning.
The results indicate ‘limit of detection’ (LoD) values within the range permitted by regulations. This new sensor is cost-effective, user-friendly and efficient for detecting several metals simultaneously, offering a viable alternative for decision-making in water quality monitoring.
Keywords: D-penicillamine, DPN, electrochemical sensing, heavy metal detection, ICP-MS, nanostructures, LoD, surface-area-to-volume ratio
Effect of Microdroplets on Chemical Reactions
ChE-E-03
Christine Khoury; khourychristen8@gmail.com
Advisor: Prof. Dorith Tavor
SCE - Shamoon College of Engineering, Be’er-Sheva
Microdroplets increase surface area, influencing the rate and efficiency of chemical reactions. This study examined how reactant flow within microdroplets affects conversion in two slow organic reactions. Microdroplets were generated using pressure atomization, during which liquid is forced through a narrow nozzle under high pressure, forming droplets due to sudden flow changes. This experiment varied the pressure: (2–3 bar); nozzle diameter (0.5–0.9mm); and reactant concentrations (0.25–1 M). After condensation, products were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) to calculate conversion. An average conversion of 15% was achieved using a 0.6mm nozzle, compared to 7.45% under manual mixing—a 7.55% improvement, indicating better process efficiency. These findings show that microdroplet-based systems can enhance the performance of slow reactions and offer a more effective alternatives to traditional mixing techniques.
Keywords: chemical mixing, GC, microdroplets, pressure atomization, reaction conversion, slow reactions, surface area
Book of Abstracts | 2025
23